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Controls how bubble pitches relate to musical scales, and adds psychoacoustic processing for melodic clarity.

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Scale Selection

ControlWhat It Does
ScaleChoose from 75+ scales including Western modes, world scales, microtonal systems, and experimental tunings. The dropdown shows intervals (e.g., “Major: 2-4-5-7-9-11”).
RootThe root note of the selected scale (C through B).

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Quantization

KnobWhat It Does
QuantizeHow strongly bubble pitches snap to scale notes. At 0%, pitches are free and continuous (raw physics). At 100%, all pitches quantize to the nearest scale degree.
When a scale is selected, incoming MIDI notes are also snapped to the scale before being used to compute bubble pitch — so an arpeggiator or sequencer outputting non-scale notes still produces in-key bubbles.

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Snap (Auditory Distortion Products)

KnobWhat It Does
SnapDrives the ADP engine, which spawns psychoacoustic distortion-product partners alongside each main bubble. Low values add subtle spectral richness; high values create dense inharmonic clouds.
The Snap knob is FOAM’s most distinctive sound-shaping control after Rate and Size. It synthesizes auditory distortion products — the same combination tones your ear generates when two close frequencies sound together — and emits them as physical bubbles. The result is content the ear hears as “rougher” or “more present” without literally adding harmonics.
Snap is independent of pitch quantization — you can have free continuous pitches with heavy ADP processing, or perfectly scale-locked melodic mode with no ADP at all.